Process of treating brittle vegetable fibers of kapok and other plants.



llNlTEU @TATES; Ql l lQE.

EMIL GUSTAV STARK, 0F ALTCHEMNITZ, NEAR CHEMNITZ, GERMANY.

PROCESS OF TREATING BRIT'ILE VEGETABLE FIBERS OF KAPOK AND OTHER PLANTS,

Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Original application filed March 14, 1910, Serial No. 549,232. Divided and'this application filed February 27, 1911. Serial No. 811,289.

To all whom it nmy concern:

Be it known that l, lflmn'tlusrnv S'IAR'K, a subject of the German Emperor, and residing at Altehemnita, near Chcmnitz, (lormany, have invented a. certain new and useful improved process of treating brittle vegetable fibers oi" lcapok and other plants for uniformly (lyeinff, spinning, and working them into yarn and twine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to n'oeesses of treating a number of vegetable fibers, partieularly the down or hair of the seed, of kapok (llrioclcmlron dflfiflo'fiLLOS'IUW), olol'ropis proccra, cotton silks, and, indeed, all the fibers, i. e. the hair of the seed, of the group oi i olo/pics, and the like, most of which are. 7 gnated cotton silks, have a lgieautitul brilliant appearance, and are brittle in their natural conditon, so that they cannot be spun.

The subject-matter of this invention is an improved process which enables these vegetable fibers, 2'. e. the hair of the seed, to be spun.

According to my process the smooth surface of the vegetable fibers, treated With a suitable solvent, is shrunk and converted into a. rough surface. VJhen treating the vegetable fibers with the solvent those substances are simultaneously removed from. the vegetable fibers which cause the brittleness of the fibers. These are incrnsting sub stances both of inorganic and organic nature. The solvent is caused to act on the fibers until the incrusting substances have for the most part passed into it. In my (:0- pending application, Serial No. 549,232, filed March 14, 1910, I have described how I can attain. the same ends by employing a. dilute aqueous solution of glue, and in my simul taneous divisional application I have disclosed a. process in which a bleaching agent is employed.

A primary object of my'present invention is to provide a cheaper process of treating fibers of the kind referred to for the described purposes.

According to my invention, when some what small demands are made on the strength and uniformity of the yarn, and particularly When the fibers are mixed for spinning With other fibrous materials, expose the fibers to the action of hot or boiling water until the fibers sink below the waterlevcl. I use this treatment With hot or boiling- \vate also when the vegetable fibers are to be spun with cotton. Obviously acids, g. hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid, may be added to the valor, without departing from the scope of my im'en'tion. The vegetable fibers liberated from the incrusting substances are dried at a moderate temperature. The same are then adapted to be uniformly dyed, spun and Worked up by themselves or with other vegetable fibers into yarn and twine.

()lwiously my in'lproved process is not only a pli ;-al' le for the vegetable fibers named above, but also for those vegetable fibers which possess similar qualities as the fibers, 2 c. the hair of the seed, of kapok (li'rimZcmZw-n anfmci-uosum) and cotton. silks generally.

1 claim 1. The herein described. nroccss of treating brittle vegetable fibers, '2. c. the down or hair of the seed. of lra'pok (Friction/Iron (mfrm/J/omm), Uo'lotropl's prove-m, cot-tonsilks, and indeed all the fibers, '2". the hair otthe seed, oi the group of xlsclcyria-s and.

the like. most of which are designated cotton silks, which consists in treating the fibers with hot water. thereby dissolving a portion of the incrusting substances Within the single hair, extracting the same therefrom and thereby shrinking the smooth surface of the fibers and converting it into a rough surface.

The herein described. process of treat ing brittle vegetable fibers, "1'. c. the down or hair of the seed, o'fikagok (ii riodcmiron 1m frucmosmn (Miotropis proccra, cotton silks, and indeed all the fibers, the hair of the seed, of the group of Asc lcpias and the like, most of which are designated cotton silks, which consists in treating the fibers with hot water containing an acid thereby dissolving; a portion of the incrusting substances within the single hair, oxtraetiug the same therefrom and thereby shrinking the. smooth surface of the fibers and converting it into a rough surface.

3. 'lhe herein described process or treathair ot the seed,of kapoh ([i'riotlrmdron frrlr'lfuosw'm (Jalotropis proccm, cotton silks, and indeed all the fibers, '5. e. the hair of the seed, of the group of Asclepias and i of the fibers and converting it into a rough the like, most-0f which are designated eotsurface. 0 10 ton silks, which consists in treating the In testimony whereof I aifix my signature fibers with hot water containing hydroin the presence of two Witnesses.

chloric acid, thereby dissolving a portion EMIL- GUSTAV STARK. of the incrusting substances Within the Witnesses: single hair, extracting the same therefrom O. A. HERRMANN,

and thereby shrinking the smooth surface KURT LUIGLY. 

